Linda Evangelista says she was left 'deformed' by
cosmetic procedure
Published21
hours ago
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-58662756
Supermodel
Linda Evangelista has said she has been left "permanently deformed"
due to an adverse reaction to a fat reduction procedure.
The 56-year-old
revealed she had experienced a rare cosmetic side effect of the treatment five
years ago which actually increased her fat cells.
"I
have been left, as the media has described, 'unrecognisable'," she told
her 900,000 Instagram followers.
Evangelista
explained it was the reason she'd disappeared from the public eye.
The
Canadian model went on to say she had undergone "two painful, unsuccessful,
corrective surgeries" after the slimming procedure - also known as body
contouring - had had the opposite effect.
"To my
followers who have wondered why I have not been working while my peers' careers
have been thriving, the reason is that I was brutally disfigured by... [a
procedure] which did the opposite of what it promised," Evangelista
explained.
She said
the side effect she experienced "has not only destroyed my livelihood, it
has sent me into a cycle of deep depression, profound sadness and the lowest
depths of self-loathing. In the process I have become a recluse."
In her
social media post, the star said she wanted to tell her story publicly in order
to move on with her life, and suggested she would be suing the company she said
was responsible.
The company
which Evangelista claims to have used has not yet responded to the BBC's
request for comment.
"I'm
so tired of living this way," she continued. "I would like to walk
out my door with my head held high, despite not looking like myself any longer."
The
non-surgical procedure, which has grown in popularity in recent years, uses
cold temperatures to reduce fat deposits in certain areas of the body.
Describing
the "very rare but serious side effect" she had experienced,
Evangelista said it "means the fat cells in the treatment site grow larger
rather than smaller", adding: "It's not fully understood why this
occurs."
Evangelista
rose to fame in the 1990s as one of a group of emerging supermodels, gracing
high-end catwalks around the world and the cover of leading fashion magazine
Vogue.
She also
appeared in a George Michael music video alongside Naomi Campbell, Cindy
Crawford and Christy Turlington.
The model
has kept a low profile in recent years, rarely posting new images of herself on
social media.
In the few
pictures she has posted, her face is often partially obscured by a headscarf or
hat.
Stars
including Gwyneth Paltrow and stylist Karla Welch showed their support in the
comments underneath Evangelista's post, as did designers Jeremy Scott and
Brandon Maxwell.
"You
are and always will be a supermodel, now adding super role model of courage to
your glorious resume," wrote Scott, while Paltrow posted a red love heart
emoji.
Maxwell
posted: "I have always recognised you as someone who was physically
beautiful, yes, but more importantly you really shone bright from within... In
your darkest moments may you never forget the light you have sparked in so
many, and continue to."
Fellow
model Karen Elson said: "Sweet Linda. I love you dearly, you are so brave
and wonderful."
Supermodel Linda Evangelista Says Cosmetic
Procedure Left Her ‘Disfigured’
The ’90s-era supermodel said side effects from a
fat-freezing procedure caused her to become depressed and turned her into a
recluse after “not looking like myself any longer.”
Christine
Hauser
By
Christine Hauser
Published
Sept. 23, 2021
Updated
Sept. 24, 2021
Linda
Evangelista, the supermodel made famous in the 1990s, said she had become
“brutally disfigured” and “unrecognizable” after a cosmetic body-sculpting
procedure that had turned her into a recluse.
In an
Instagram post on Wednesday, she referred to filing a lawsuit, saying that she
was taking “a big step towards righting a wrong that I have suffered and have
kept to myself for over five years.”
She added:
“To my followers who have wondered why I have not been working while my peers’
careers have been thriving, the reason is that I was brutally disfigured by
Zeltiq’s CoolSculpting procedure which did the opposite of what it promised.”
Ms.
Evangelista, 56, said that after the fat-freezing procedure she developed
paradoxical adipose hyperplasia, a side effect in which patients develop firm
tissue masses in the treatment areas.
She said
the cosmetic procedure left her “permanently deformed even after undergoing two
painful, unsuccessful, corrective surgeries.” She said she had not been told of
the risk.
“PAH has
not only destroyed my livelihood, it has sent me into a cycle of deep
depression, profound sadness, and the lowest depths of self-loathing,” she
wrote. “In the process, I have become a recluse.”
Ms.
Evangelista, who was known as one of the five top supermodels in the 1990s,
detailed her story on Instagram, where she has 912,000 followers and where
thousands of people commented or expressed support. Her story was also widely
covered in international and national media outlets.
Ms.
Evangelista filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against Zeltiq Aesthetics Inc., in the
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The suit said she
was seeking compensatory damages of $50 million for her distress and loss of
work, promotions and public appearances.
Representatives
for the company did not immediately respond to requests for comment on
Thursday. A lawyer for Ms. Evangelista was not immediately available for
comment.
The lawsuit
said Ms. Evangelista had seven treatments from August 2015 through February
2016 to break down fat cells in her abdomen, flanks, back and bra area, inner
thighs, and chin. Within a few months, she developed “hard, bulging, painful
masses under her skin in those areas,” it said, and was given a diagnosis of
PAH in June 2016.
The filing
said her quality of life, her career and her body “were all ruined in 2016
after she was permanently disfigured” by the procedure and the multiple
attempts at corrective surgery that followed.
“Ms. Evangelista
enjoyed a wildly successful and lucrative modeling career from 1984 through
2016, until she was permanently injured and disfigured by Zeltiq’s
CoolSculpting System,” the lawsuit said.
The suit
accused the company of having “intentionally concealed” the risks or “failed to
adequately warn” about them, and said Ms. Evangelista developed depression and
a fear of going outside.
Ms.
Evangelista had full body liposuctions after the diagnosis by a doctor referred
to her by Zeltiq in 2016 and 2017, but the procedures were unsuccessful and
resulted in scarring, the lawsuit said.
“Ms.
Evangelista was promised a more contoured appearance; instead, the target fat
cells actually increased in number and size and formed hard, bulging masses
under her skin,” it said.
According
to CoolSculpting, its procedure has been cleared by the Food and Drug
Administration for the treatment of visible fat bulges.
In response
to questions, the F.D.A. said in an email that it could not comment on
litigation, but that it was “committed to ensuring medical devices are safe and
effective and that patients can be fully informed when making personal health
decisions.” It said that it monitors reports from consumers of adverse events
after a device reaches the market and would “take action where appropriate.”
Cryolipolysis,
the name of the nonsurgical fat-freezing procedure, uses cold temperature to
break down fat cells, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.
It is
mostly used by patients who want to reduce a specific fat bulge that they have
been unable to diminish through other means. Generally, the area of concern is
“vacuumed” into the hollow of an applicator, where it is subjected to cold
temperature.
The
surgeons’ society said the complication rate was low, with less than 1 percent
of patients who may develop paradoxical fat hyperplasia, which is an unexpected
increase in the number of fat cells. The side effect is more common in men than
in women, the society said.
Ms.
Evangelista also said that the public scrutiny of her appearance had harmed her
emotionally. “I have been left, as the media has described, ‘unrecognizable,’”
she said.
Jonah E.
Bromwich contributed reporting.
Christine
Hauser is a reporter, covering national and foreign news. Her previous jobs in
the newsroom include stints in Business covering financial markets and on the
Metro desk in the police bureau. @ChristineNYT
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